The White Queen and the Witch Hunter
by DJFireHawk
Summary: With the Black Queen no longer able to cause trouble a darker, more dangerous, threat is rising. Chloe finds an ancient book that may be able to lead them to another immortal.
1. Chapter 1

The White Queen and the Witch Hunter

Rating: M

Summary: With the Black Queen no longer able to cause trouble a darker, more dangerous, threat is rising. Chloe finds an ancient book that may be able to lead them to another immortal.

A/N: This idea popped into my head after watching the With Hunter movie and just refused to go away.

Chapter 1

Kaulder was slowly driving Chloe up the wall and making her question whether staying with him was really a good idea for her sanity. She had no idea how Dolan dealt with him for so long without wanting to kill the smug little bastard.

"Dolan? What the hell is your secret? How do you not want to strangle him on a near-daily basis?"

"That, my dear, is the secret. I do want to strangle him, quite often in fact. Imagining myself doing so when he is being particularly difficult is what allows me to deal with him…without committing pointless homicide."

"Pointless because he can't actually die right?"

"Precisely."

"You two do realize I can hear you right?"

"Your point being?"

A low gravelly chuckle was their only response, as per usual when dealing with Kaulder, if they got a response at all. Chloe let out an aggravated sigh and Dolan just shrugged. Dolan went back to logging Kaulder's latest adventure against the Black witch queen in his journal while Chloe went back to reading an ancient tome that Kaulder had in his secret vault. He had been allowing her to borrow it and read it due to it being about the history of her kind, the history of the ancient witches. According to the tome the ancient witches were mostly neutral with a few being white witches. Originally there had been no black witches, not until one of the most powerful of the neutral witches had found a strange artifact that corrupted her heart and soul, twisting her magic into a dark shadow of what it was supposed to be. She went on to infect other witches with her darkness to form her own black coven. She later became known as the Witch Queen, but the witches had called her the Black Queen because those who remained neutral still followed the white queen. The tome spoke of the battle between Kaulder and the Black Queen, but it also mentioned that the White Queen had been the one to bind the Black Queen to that tree in the first place to minimize her ability to damage the world. It was because of the Black Queen that humans began to mistrust magic and those who used it, and so they began to hunt them down.

Chloe was horrified as she read about numerous witch hunts that had occurred in history, not just in Salem but all over the world. Those hunts had resulted in the deaths of every white witch, all except the White Queen who went into hiding and had not been seen since. Many came to believe she had only been a myth and soon her story had been forgotten. Chloe had a deep, instinctive feeling that the story was true and that the White Queen was out there somewhere…waiting to be found by one who would believe in her. She closed her eyes and allowed her conscious mind to fall away, letting her unconscious mind drift out away from her body. She felt a hesitant presence reaching out to her and tried to project a feeling of safety, being rewarded with a radiant, warm white light bathing her in it's glow. The image of a small female form surrounded by a halo of light appeared for a brief moment before the presence vanished altogether. Chloe came back to herself with a sharp gasp of air that had both males in the room rushing to her side.

"Are you all right my dear? Are you hurt?"

"She saw something. What did you see Chloe?"

"The White Queen…I saw the White Queen. She's real…and she's waiting for someone to believe in her…to help her."

"What are you talking about Kid? What White Queen?"

"You don't remember her do you? She's the one that bound the Black Queen to the tree, she made it possible for her to be pinned down and killed. She couldn't kill her directly…she's too pure to kill…but she made it so that someone could if they had a strong enough will."

Kaulder's face hardened for a moment while he remembered that fateful day before softening again as he looked at the young woman he had come to view as a little sister of sorts. He rested one large hand atop her red head and let her draw strength from his presence, earning him a grateful little smile from the young witch.

"You said she's waiting for help? What did you mean by that my dear?"

Dolan had all-but adopted her as a surrogate daughter and worried over her far more than he ever did over Kaulder. Kaulder suspected her mortality had something to do with that. The red-head's eyes turned to Dolan with a soft smile that neither man had ever seen on her before.

"When her people stopped believing in her, her magic became mostly dormant. She's been waiting for one of us to find her story and believe in her again, to give her magic strength. Now…she just needs me to find her. I have to find her Kaulder…I have to. She's the true queen of my kind. Her magic is pure and she can heal those that the black one corrupted in her bid for power."

"Maybe she can help us deal with the new threat that's been cropping up as well Kaulder..."

"You mean those Shadow things that have been killing people and vanishing without a trace?"

"Yes…the shadow things. I still haven't found anything to tell us what they are or where they come from, let alone how to kill them. I'm afraid if this continues much longer it will spark a modern day witch hunt…"

"No! I won't let that happen. I'll find the White Queen…she can help us I know it. Will you help me find her or not? I can find her but I might not be able to get to her without help. I have a feeling whatever's out there doesn't want her to come back to full power."

"Yeah kid, I'll help you...I'll always help you. You got any idea where to start?"

"She's somewhere in Europe, possibly in England or Scotland or Ireland. I won't be able to narrow it down until I get closer."

"Well then…Dolan…We're going to need some Airline tickets."

"I'm already ahead of you my friend. I've just ordered two open-ended round-trip tickets to London and several open-ended tickets for smaller jump-flights to and from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and a few other countries just in case. I am almost done ordering a third open ticket for the return flight once you find her."

"So that's how you managed to get around so quickly when hunting…damn I wish I'd have had these kinds of resources."

"Well now you do. Go pack a bag because we'll be leaving tonight. Pack enough to last at least a week."

Chloe was already out the door and racing down the hall to her bedroom before he was even halfway done speaking. Kaulder let a small amused smirk cross his lips, chuckling low in his throat as he grabbed a bag he kept packed at all times and added a number of undetectable weapons to it. The Axe and Cross had been trying to get him to come back but he was still angry and feeling more than a little bit betrayed by them, especially since one of their own had tried to kill him during his brief stint as a mortal again. He let his mind wander for a moment to wonder about this White Queen Chloe was so intent on finding. Part of him feared that it was some darker entity trying to use Chloe to get to him, but another part of him vaguely remembered a small woman wreathed in white light as she fought back the darkness trying to claim him after he killed the evil Witch Queen. He shook his head and wondered if he should have Chloe take him back into that memory to see what happened between killing the witch and being awakened by his brethren. A loud thud near the door had him looking up with a wide grin on his face. Chloe was dragging a large rolling suitcase behind her and staring at him with an impatient look.

"Well? Are we going or not Kaulder?"

"Alright kid, keep your shorts on we're going."

She gave him an un-amused look as he chuckled at her for being so excited. Who could blame her? It wasn't every day a witch got the chance to meet one of the first of their kind and be in a position to help them. The glare she leveled at him had him putting his hands up in surrender, though that infuriating smirk never left his lips for a second. He picked up her bag like it weighed next to nothing and put it in the trunk with his, earning him a more playful scowl from the red-head as she grabbed his keys and slid into the driver's seat before he could even blink. His rich baritone laugh rumbled through the car as he slid into the passenger seat before the young woman stomped the accelerator to the floor and careened around the first turn in her path.

"You do actually want to make it there in one piece right kid?"

"I like driving fast…especially in this fancy thing you love so much."

Another deep chuckle came from the large muscled male. All remained relatively quiet until Chloe slid sideways into a parking spot at the airport, long-term of course since they'd be gone for a while. Kaulder looked over at her with a raised eyebrow at the now-bouncing female he was with. He lifted both of their bags out of the trunk and they proceeded to their flight. Once they were in the air Kaulder brought up the idea of having her help him revisit the memory of what happened after he killed the Black Queen.

"Hey kid? I'm thinking I might need to have you take me back into a specific memory of mine."

"Which one?"

The one right after I killed the Witch Queen."

"The Black Queen…that's what she's supposed to be called because she's not the true Queen. Why do you want to see that again?"

"I have a vague memory of a small woman surrounded by white light…seeming to be driving something off. I need to find out more…to see exactly who she was and what she did. I want you there with me Chloe."

"Of course Kaulder…you're like my brother now."

The two settled back in their seats and Chloe placed her hand in his much larger one. They both closed their eyes and Chloe pulled them both into Kaulder's memories, sifting through until she found the right moment in time. Chloe gave him a horrified look as she saw the black one's power burning him though he did not die. They both froze in place as large numbers of shadowy figures started to swarm around Kaulder's burned form before a blinding white light surrounded him like a shield. A small woman with long wavy hair that was silvery in color appeared out of the darkness and the shadows tried to attack her. Her piercing bright green eyes landed on Kaulder's form as the shadows bounced off of the shields around them both. When she spoke her voice was soft and had a slight musical quality to it.

"Rest now brave warrior, the shadows will not harm you now. You have done what I can not and stopped the black one from destroying this world. Sadly this is not the end of her, she will return one day and you will face her yet again. I will return to aid you when the shadows also return to try and destroy all that we hold dear. Be strong brave warrior…know that you are not alone."

The voices of his fellow hunters came to them then and the small woman laid a feathery kiss on the burned form's forehead before vanishing in a flash of silvery-white light. Chloe and Kaulder jolted out of the memory and back into their seats, both looking more than a little shocked by what they had seen. Chloe felt that soft presence in the back of her mind again and didn't hesitate to let her Queen come to her this time. She allowed her Queen to speak through her to Kaulder.

"Hello again brave warrior. Chloe has allowed me to speak through her for a moment as I cannot yet reach you on my own; I am not strong enough yet. You must protect her from the shadows. They will seek her out and try to corrupt her. You cannot allow them to do so. She is the last uncorrupted dream-walker in this world and she must be kept safe. I cannot yet leave my place of hiding, not until I regain more strength. I am helping her from a distance as much as I am able to by feeding her what knowledge I am able."

A soft gasp from Chloe's lips let Kaulder know that she was back in control again. She turned to look at him with a slight sheen of tears gathering in her eyes and he pulled her close to comfort her.

"I won't let anything hurt you kid. I promise you that."

"I'm not worried about myself Kaulder…I'm worried about her…my Queen. She's still so weak and vulnerable."

"We'll find her kid…we'll find her."


	2. Chapter 2

The White Queen and the Witch Hunter

A/N: I'm so happy you all seem to be so interested in this story. I do apologize for taking so long to update but I've been very busy lately. Here is chapter two and I hope you all like it.

Chapter 2

Chloe and Kaulder Landed in London and Kaulder immediately decided they needed to leave quickly, earning an eye-roll from the red haired witch with him.

"You live in a big city…yet you hate cities. Does that somehow make sense in your funny little brain Kaulder?"

He ignored her, not that she expected anything else really, but she did see his lips twitch so she knew he heard her at least. As they left the city and headed out into the English countryside the car Kaulder had rented simply stopped in the middle of nowhere…literally just fields as far as they could see.

"Did you forget to put gas in it again?"

"It had a full tank when we picked it up and it's only down by half Chloe…this isn't natural."

Even as he said it Chloe felt the hairs on the back of her neck and her arms stand up in warning. She immediately tried to get out of the car but the door was stuck.

"Kaulder…the damned door won't open."

She wasn't panicking…not yet…but she was concerned. The panic set in when shadow figures surrounded the car and started overheating the engine. Kaulder cursed in several languages when the engine started smoking and caught fire. Chloe froze in fear…she hated fire and it had always terrified her, even more so recently. Kaulder managed to break his window and got out of the car, not realizing Chloe had frozen on him, and started throwing holy water at the shadow people. The things scattered, hissing at him before vanishing like a puff of smoke. Kaulder turned back to the car and realized Chloe was still sitting there, staring at the flames in front of her and not moving. He cursed again and ran to her side of the car, tearing the door completely off the frame and yanking her out before carrying her over the opposite side of a nearby hill where she couldn't see the flames.

"Hey…come on kid look at me. Chloe? Snap out of it kid…"

She finally looked at him and blinked rapidly, seeming to realize she wasn't surrounded by flames anymore, and launched herself into his strong arms. He just held her close and let her get the rest of the fear out of her system, though both of them flinched horribly when the car exploded and a tire landed about a foot away from them.

"Well…I'd say we're in the right part of the world if they're trying to kill us…right kid?"

"Yeah…she's in Ireland though…I think…it feels like it…"

"Then that's where we're headed next…but we are not taking anything mechanical."

"Then how exactly are we supposed to cross the sea from here to there?"

"I've got a plan…"

"Why do I not like the sound of that?"

His answering grin only made her more positive it was going to be something awful. By the time they finally made it to England's coast Chloe was positive she wanted to kill something. She'd never been a huge fan of walking to begin with and the distances they'd had to cover were absolutely ridiculous. Kaulder had used a payphone to call Dolan and tell him what had happened, and inform him that no more mechanical transportation would be happening. Sadly for her, Dolan agreed. Kaulder now stood next to the water's edge and laid several items in the rocky sand in a circle. Chloe watched with curiosity because it looked like a summoning ritual, but not one she'd ever seen before.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't answer her, as usual, though she suspected he was concentrating. When the water far in front of them began to swirl and churn Chloe backed up a bit and made sure she was behind Kaulder, just in case he'd summoned the wrong thing or something. What popped up had her jaw nearly hitting the ground in shock.

"Is…is that…?"

"Yeah…Chloe…meet Nessie. Yes, she's real, and no she's not dangerous. If you know how to call her properly…and what payment to give…she'll give you a ride across the water."

"Doesn't she live in the lake?"

"That's just where she goes to rest. She can leave the lake anytime she wants to."

Kaulder waited until the, admittedly gorgeous, creature lowered her head in front of them before pulling out a massive piece of meat to give her. Chloe smiled softly when Nessie nudged her gently, like a cat asking to be petted, and she gently rubbed the top of her head.

"She seems friendly enough…"

Kaulder could see Chloe was still wary so he just picked her up and sat her on Nessie's back before joining her, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around her so she wouldn't fall off…or jump off. Nessie moved fast, really fast, but Kaulder seemed to have no problem keeping them on her back. Chloe was surprised at how quickly they made it to Ireland with the ancient creature's help. Once they were off of her back Nessie nudged Chloe for another pet, which she was happy to give her, before sinking back into the water as if she'd never been there at all. Kaulder chuckled at the awe-struck look on his 'little sister's' face.

"Come on kid…let's go find that Queen of yours."

Chloe snapped out of her daze and quickly followed him…into yet another long-ass walk that she cursed about the entire time and had Kaulder laughing at her. After a few hours Chloe stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes.

"Kaulder…I can feel her…we're close."

"How close kid? Where do we need to go?"

"Over there…she's in a cave in that forest."

Kaulder looked where she was pointing and huffed softly. The forest looked ancient, which it probably was, and had a large amount of ground cover to get through. He pulled out one of his larger knives and started hacking his way through the undergrowth, Chloe following behind him and using her magic to gently nudge some of the larger branches out of his way. It took hours for them to reach the cave, and only Chloe's ability to sense it allowed them to find it at all as it was extremely well-guarded. Chloe went to step into the cave but Kaulder's arm held her back.

"Kaulder…what the hell are you doing?"

"Easy Kid…we don't if it's actually her in there or a trap of some kind. I'll go first, you keep watch until I call for you. Got it?"

"Yeah…make it quick alright?"

He could see how impatient she was getting and shook his head in mild amusement at her eagerness. As soon as he entered the cave Kaulder felt a sense of peaceful calm as a soft voice seemed to be singing somewhere ahead of him. It took a few minutes to reach the source of the singing but once he had he felt his jaw pop open a bit. He had seen her briefly when watching his old memory but she'd been surrounded by so much light he couldn't really see her clearly, but here he could see every detail and she was a stunning woman. He'd been with a lot of women over the years he'd been alive but this one was different. She looked as beautiful as any model with her long black hair falling around her in waves and her bright green eyes lit by the smile on her face, but there was an aura of light and peace around her that left him momentarily speechless.

"Hello Hunter. I am Ariande, the true Witch Queen. Welcome to my hiding place. My followers hid me here long ago to keep me safe, however, I feel it is time for me to return and set my people back on the right path. They have allowed themselves to be drawn into darkness and disarray, so I must guide them back."

Kaulder just watched the woman for several long moments before realizing that Chloe would kill him if he didn't call her back in soon. As he turned around to call for her he grunted in mild annoyance to find her standing right behind him, an awe-struck look on her face. She stepped forward, moving past him as if her weren't even there, to drop to her knees in front of the other woman.

"My Queen…my true queen. I had thought you were just a myth…a story told to us as kids to give up hope…but you're real."

The woman placed a small hand atop Chloe's head and the red head closed her eyes with a smile on her lips. The dark haired woman gave her a soft smile and spoke to her in an equally soft tone.

"Yes Chloe. I am real. I have been hiding until my strength could come back to me, but until you reached out I was unable to regain my strength. The less people believed in me the weaker I became. I am still not back to my full strength but that will come in time. Thank you Chloe, for believing in me."

"Always. I'll tell everyone I know…I'll make them believe in you too."

"They will soon…I will reveal myself to our kind and show them that I am real."

"How? You can't exactly go on TV and make an announcement…"

"No, of course not, that would be quite foolish. I was, in the past, able to briefly connect to the minds of my people in order to send important messages, such as a warning of imminent danger. I can use that to show them that I am real, but I will need to be a bit stronger first."

Kaulder just stood back, watching and listening as the two women talked as if they were old friends. It was amazing to him to see Chloe so open and friendly since she was usually very standoffish with new people. He shifted a bit in the shadows and the dark haired woman's eyes followed his movements. He couldn't help the spike of lust that went through him every time he looked at her, she was a very attractive woman after all and he was a man used to having pleasure at his fingertips. He couldn't be entirely positive but he had a sneaking suspicion that Ariande knew exactly what was going on in his head when he looked at her, and judging from the twitch her lips made he was positive that it amused her for some reason. Eventually the three left the safety of the cave and Kaulder watched Ariande blink rapidly in the bright sunlight outside.

"You'll adjust soon…been in that cave a long time haven't ya?"

"Too long…"

There was a weight in those words that Kaulder could hear and he felt a bit bad for the poor woman, having to hide from the world all this time in order to be safe. He had to fight back a sudden urge to hold and comfort her, an urge he couldn't understand as it was not usually his way of handling things. He only comforted Chloe when something really freaked her out and terrified her, not that she often needed or wanted comforting anyway but that was beside the point.

"Come on ladies…we've got a long walk ahead of us."

"Where are we heading now Kaulder? If we can't use mechanical means of travel because of those things…then how are we going to get home?"

"I can help with that. In ancient times there was a system of portals set up around the world, all anyone had to do was draw the appropriate circle in the center and stand in while picturing their destination in their minds. I know the one on the British Island is still standing."

"Wait…you mean Stonehenge? That place is a portal?"

"That was the original purpose for it yes. Now it is simply an ancient relic no one understands. I still know it's secrets so we can use that to transport directly to your home."

"Convenient…"

Ariande gave Kaulder a little smirk at his statement and moved to the front to lead them, much to his irritation. When they reached the edge of the sea Chloe was surprised to find Nessie already waiting for them. Ariande walked up and the large creature seemed to just melt against her, making these adorable crooning sounds. Ariande gave Chloe a little smile and decided to explain Nessie's reaction to her.

"She remembers me, even after all this time. I raised her. She was the only egg left from the last mated pair of her kind. The female died laying her batch of eggs and the male followed her into death, unable to remain in this world without his mate. They mate for life, and only ever have one partner, and they can't die from old age either. The rest of the eggs had been picked apart by animals but I found one underneath the rest and carried it home. I tended to it until it hatched and I raised the little baby until she could fend for herself. She is every bit as beautiful as I remember."

Kaulder let them have their moment. It was kind of adorable, even if he'd never admit that out loud, and Chloe seemed to be enjoying herself as she joined in on the petting. Eventually he felt that it would be wise to move on.

"Time to go ladies. We need to keep moving."

"Of course, Hunter. Come Chloe, let's move on."

The three climbed onto Nessie's back, Chloe clinging to her neck with a big grin on her face. Ariande was sitting behind Chloe and Kaulder climbed on behind her. He hesitated for a few moments but eventually wrapped an arm around Ariande's waist, smirking a bit when she leaned back into him slightly. They made it to Britain's coast in a short amount of time and thanked Nessie for the ride, giving her some more attention in the process of course. It was a long hike to Stonehenge and they had to spend the night in a small hotel, all three of them crammed into one room, and one large bed. Kaulder groaned softly but he knew they couldn't separate into two rooms, not with the threat of those shadow creatures, so he just had to suck it up and deal with it. The two women were quick to crawl under the covers and Chloe dropped into dreamland almost immediately. Kaulder let out a soft chuckle at the sight.

"She's not fond of walking much…or exercise in general really."

"Hunter…"

"Kaulder. My name, is Kaulder."

"Very well then…Kaulder…you should come and get some sleep as well. We have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow if we wish to reach the henge before nightfall."

"I know."

"Then why do you hesitate? I won't bite…at least not with Chloe nearby."

Kaulder snorted slightly and gave the woman a much different smirk than his usual one as he walked to her side of the bed and bent down, an arm on either side of her head as he loomed over her. He pitched his voice low and let it rumble from deep inside his chest, smirking wider at the shiver it sent through her.

"Is that an invitation little Queen? Do you have any idea what kind of fire you're playing with?"

"Oh I have an idea of what lurks within you Kaulder…and that is very much an invitation. I've been alone for a long time Kaulder…a very long time. However, as I said before…not with Chloe nearby…but once we're alone…"

Kaulder growled softly at her words as she arched up into him for a moment. She was definitely playing with fire but he couldn't deny he was very interested. She was right though, he couldn't do anything with Chloe nearby, it would be entirely too awkward for all of them really, so he settled in behind Ariande, wrapping an arm around her waist as they joined the red head in dreamland. He told himself the arm was to make sure he'd know if any of the shadow creatures tried to get to her in the night but he honestly just wanted to feel her against him and he was sure she knew it too.


	3. Chapter 3

The White Queen and the Witch Hunter

A/N: This chapter isn't going to be very long but this is gearing up for the next chapter which will be the big fight and the aftermath…the final chapter. I've enjoyed this story but my brain is stuck on another one so I need to finish this one up before I lose my inspiration entirely.

Guest 1: I'm glad you like it hun. I'm enjoying these two quite a bit myself.

Guest 2: You and me both hun lol. I usually make my female characters rather bold and confident, probably b/c I'm not able to be like that in my own life atm.

Chapter 3

By the time they finally made it to Kaulder's home in New York they were all tired of travelling, well Kaulder and Chloe were…Ariande was actually enjoying seeing all of the changes the world had undergone. She had gleaned some information by skimming the minds of those who lived in Ireland or visited it, but that was nothing compared to seeing it all in person for the first time. When they appeared in the living room Kaulder though Dolan would have a heart attack but he merely blinked and shrugged before looking to their newest group member.

"Welcome Queen Ariande, I hope your journey was pleasant? I am Dolan."

"I know who you are, and yes it was quite pleasant thank you."

She wandered around the place a bit, picking up various items Kaulder had gathered over his long life until one in particular made her freeze in place with wide eyes. Kaulder watched her lazily, a look on his face that Dolan recognized as his hunting face, until he saw her body go stiff and he moved to her side.

"What is it little Queen?"

"This…this was mine…long ago. It was a power source for when I'd depleted my energy…I didn't even know any of them had survived…"

"You can have it…if it'll help you get stronger again."

"Thank you Kaulder."

The item she held looked simple enough, a simple crystal vial on a chain but it was what the vial contained that was the important part. The liquid inside was very precious and could restore the energy of a witch if she used too much power for a spell. The only catch was that the vials could only be opened by the witch who created them, in this case Ariande had managed to get lucky. Kaulder raised an eyebrow as he watched her place the chain around her neck without opening the vial.

"Aren't you gonna use that?"

"Not right now…if I drink this I'll be unconscious for a full 24 hours while my magic level rises drastically. I had rather hoped to have that alone time we spoke of before I do that…unless you've changed your mind…?"

The low growl that rumbled from his chest at her playful words caused her to laugh softly and run a hand down his muscular chest with an appreciative sound. Dolan made some sort of excuse about needing Chloe's help with something and dragged her out of the apartment entirely. It wasn't until they were outside that Chloe figured out why Dolan had been in such a hurry to leave, and a little smirk crossed her lips.

"The Witch Hunter and the Witch Queen…now there's a match no one saw coming."

"Indeed my dear. I suggest you go shopping for a bit…no telling how long those two will be at it."

"She's been alone in a dark cave for a long time Dolan…I imagine she's just aching for some company…"

Dolan rolled his eyes and left Chloe alone on the sidewalk so she hailed a cab and headed off to meet with a few friends to tell them the news about their true queen. Back in the apartment Kaulder had pinned Ariande against the window and was giving her slow deep kisses that left her breathless and dizzy, her small hands clinging to his muscular arms. When his nose nudged her chin she tilted her head back and his lips latched onto the column of her throat, gently sucking and nipping at the tender flesh until she was giving him keening little whines that sent his blood rushing south. He lifted her up and smirked as her legs automatically locked around his waist to keep herself against him.

"I ain't gonna drop ya little Queen…just movin to a more comfortable spot."

He carried her into his bedroom and laid her gently on the ultra-soft mattress, his hands slowly stripping her dress from her body with an almost reverent look on his face. Her eyes seemed to glow with power and it took him a few moments longer than it should have to realize that they actually were glowing. Ariande used her power to remove his clothing and it reappeared on a nearby chair.

"That's a handy little trick…what else can you do little Queen?"

"I can do this."

She rolled them both over so that she was straddling his hips and he decided to just lay back and let her have the control for a bit. He could bide his time while she explored him. Her little hands traced their way across the planes of his chest and down his belly until she reached the prize she'd been seeking. A wicked little smirk twisted her lips before she ducked down and swallowed him whole, earning a loud curse as his hips bucked up.

"How the...? Damn woman!"

"Liked that did you? Magic can do so many things Kaulder…many wonderful things."

"I think I might like these things little Queen…care to show me more?"

The two spent the rest of that night in his bed…and the floor, the wall, the shower, the sofa, even the dining room table wasn't spared though Ariande did clean that one with magic afterward. The two ended up curled together in his large bed, her head using his chest as a pillow. Ariande reached out to Chloe's mind and was reassured that her new friend was safe and would return in the morning.

"Chloe said she will return tomorrow morning…she's spending the night with a friend…and before you ask the friend is female."

"We'll see her after noon sometime then…she doesn't exactly do mornings."

"Do you?"

"Oh I do a lot of things…right now I'm going to do you…again."

"By all means…have your way with me My Hunter."

The group of four spent the next several months preparing for the inevitable fight against the one controlling the shadow beings. Ariande grew stronger with each person Chloe managed to convince of her existence, several of whom she met, and eventually she was strong enough to connect her mind to those of every witch on the planet, briefly but it was enough to let them know she was real. As more of them began researching ad believing in her again she felt her power growing exponentially. Kaulder was left in awe when her power reached it's Zenith and her entire being glowed with a soft white light. Chloe couldn't seem to stop staring at her, or following her around like a pup after its mother. Kaulder and Ariande spent almost every night in bed together, her power leaking from her as her pleasure rose and leaving Kaulder reeling as her pleasure became his own. Dolan spent most of his time researching the shadow beings from the past and trying to find a way to destroy them.

"Dolan…the books will not answer all of your questions…but I may be able to answer some of them. Feel free to ask me anything."

"These shadow things have come to our world before…you've fought them before."

"I have…but I had help back then. There were many hunters and they did not merely hunt witches who'd gone dark but anything that was a threat to the innocent. I had a team of them with me when I confronted the one who created the shadows and banished him to the netherworld. Unfortunately when the black queen returned to this world it allowed him to come back as well. I will not be able to banish him alone this time. He is stronger than he was and I will need to connect to my people to stop him."

"Will that be enough?"

"I do not know for certain…all I can do is hope. I will do all I can to save this world and its people…and my people."

"We'll be right here beside you my little Queen."

"I know Kaulder."

"Your Queen? Since when does the great Kaulder bow to anyone?"

"Since she earned my respect and my loyalty. She is more than worthy of being followed by me."

"Not followed…I do not want you to be my follower Kaulder…you are my equal…my partner."

"I like the sound of that my little Queen."

"Oh gross…get a room will ya?"

"This happens to be my apartment kid."

"Ugh…whatever. So…any progress?"

"I have a great number of followers I can call upon now. All that remains is to locate the Shadow Master and confront him."

"How do we find him?"

"We don't…he will find me soon enough."

"How do you know that?"

"He is my brother…he will always find me."

"Your brother? Your own brother tried to kill you?"

"Yes. He is not the same as he once was…he was once a very kind and sweet man…always wanting to help others. Something happened when he left home to go and train with the king's army…he came back different…darker. He was obsessed with power…and then he discovered the forbidden art of Necromancy…the darkest magic there is…he mastered it unfortunately and when I confronted him about it he tried to restrain me at first…to lock me away so I wouldn't fight with him anymore. I think…at that point…some part of the old him still existed…still cared for me…but eventually that too died out and he was colder. The last time we fought he tried to kill me and I banished him. I dread to think what he will try to do this time…he will be very angry I imagine."

"I will do what I can to protect you my little Queen."

"I do not want you to face him Kaulder…he is too dangerous, too powerful even for you."

"You forget my little queen…I'm immortal."

"And you forget that he has power over life and death. He cannot truly kill me, even if he does I will be sent back. I am meant to remain in this world until the end of time to keep the balance between light and dark. Even if he cannot permanently kill me…he can do so temporarily and it will still hurt a great deal. I do not know if he could kill you permanently but I do not want to find out."

"I'll be fine my little Queen. Don't you worry your pretty little head over me. Let me do the worrying alright?"

"How about we both worry?"

"If that'll make you feel better…"

"Hate to break up the moment here but I think we have company…"

Kaulder and Ariande turned to the window where Chloe was pointing and saw a man floating outside. He had ink black hair and equally black eyes…no color, no white…just soulless black. Chloe shivered and stepped behind Kaulder while Dolan ducked behind the sofa. Ariande stood tall, her spine straight and stiff and her eyes screaming defiance.

"Hello little sister…"

The man's voice was low, deep, and dark…and it gave Chloe chills. Ariande seemed unaffected as she stood there with an impassive look upon her face, her body glowing brighter as his dark aura tried to reach out to her.

"Hello brother…come to try and kill me again?"

"Oh no, little sister…of course not, I should thank you for sending me to the netherworld. I'm much more powerful now and the shadows do whatever I ask. No, I am not planning to kill you. I am planning to corrupt you…to twist your shining white light until it becomes as dark as mine and we can rule this world together for all eternity."

"That will never happen and you know it. I will not fall to darkness. That is not the destiny I am meant to have."

"You will join me…willing or not."

The man vanished in a little whirlwind of black energy and Chloe felt like she could breathe normally again. She looked to her Queen and felt her breath catch in her throat as the other woman seemed to fold in on herself. Kaulder caught her before she could hit the floor and pulled her up into his arms, cradling her and letting her head rest in the crook of his neck as he spoke softly to her.

"Shh…it'll be alright my little Queen."

"How can it be? You saw what my loving older brother has become. He used to be my protector, the one I turned to when I needed help…now he's the one I need protection from."

"I won't let him hurt you…I won't let him destroy your light. You are the most pure, and beautiful thing I have ever known and I will not let him destroy that."

Chloe and Dolan silently left the room, moving into another part of the apartment to give the two some privacy. Chloe ended up in Dolan's arms as the fatherly figure soothed her fears as best he could. Chloe used a trick her Queen had taught her and connected her mind to those of her friends who answered almost instantly at the concern that tinged their connections.

 _[Is everything alright Chloe?]_

 _[You seem distressed. What happened?}_

 _[Is it our Queen? Is she alright?]_

 _[All of you hush for a minute. The man she told us all about? The Shadow Master? He's her older brother…and he just showed up outside Kaulder's place…he…he threatened to try and corrupt her…she stayed strong until he vanished and then she collapsed. I worry for her…I fear for her safety. The aura coming off of him was so dark…I've never felt anything like it…it felt like death.]_

 _[Well fuck me sideways…]_

 _[No thanks…not my type.]_

 _[Man…that's some twisted family drama shit right there…that sucks man…]_

 _[We'll all do what we can Chloe.]_

 _[Do you want any of us to come over?]_

 _[No…not right now…Kaulder is trying to soothe her now and no one should be near that…trust me.]_

Mental laughter sounded in her head and she smiled softly, earning a similar smile from Dolan as he realized what she was up to. She closed the connection on her end and curled up next to Dolan, her head in his lap as he read form a book that was thicker than her arm, and remained that way until the next morning.

Kaulder carried Ariande back into his room, their room now he supposed…she'd basically moved in with him anyway and he found he didn't really mind it. He laid her gently on the bed and curled in behind her, smiling when she rolled over into his chest and wrapped herself around him.

"Sleep my little Queen. I'll watch over you tonight, and every night…for as long as you'll let me. We'll banish him again I promise you that…and this time we'll make sure he can't come back again."

Her only response was to shift against him in her sleep with soft murmured words before falling silent again. He gave her a gentle, sweet kiss and followed her into the dream world.

A/N: Kind of a sappy ending for this chapter but I felt it would fit well. The next chapter will be the last one and it will have the final confrontation and what happens after that. Hopefully it turns out good. I hope you all enjoyed this little chapter as I lead up to the last one.


	4. Chapter 4

The White Queen and the Witch Hunter

A/N: This is the final chapter for this story so I hope you've all enjoyed it so far. Hopefully the ending will please everyone.

Chapter 4

Several weeks passed without any further appearances by the Shadow Master, but Kaulder and Chloe both noticed that Ariande was paler than usual and often seemed to be in pain. After a week of this Kaulder cornered her and demanded to know what was wrong.

"It's my brother…he's trying to force his darkness into me and fighting it off hurts…but I can't stop fighting or he'll win."

"Come here…"

He held his arms open to her and she curled into them, only just seeing Chloe looking at them with a soft smile.

"You two look good together."

"Thank you sweet one. I think he will fight me full on soon…he's testing my limits right now…testing my strength. I'm using as little as possible so he'll think he has the advantage."

"That's a good strategy my little queen. Kepp em guessing…let em think they have the upper hand…and then gut em like a fish."

"Not quite the visual I was going for my Hunter…I was aiming for something a bit less…bloody…"

Kaulder just shrugged, completely unapologetic as usual, and Chloe snorted loudly. Ariande just smiled softly as the two started bickering like siblings, remembering with fondness a time when she and her brother had been like that. She felt the dark pressure in her mind pull back sharply at the memory and she knew, with certainty, that that imagery had gotten to her brother. She pushed more memories of their childhood to the front of her mind and felt his darkness recoil as though it had been burned, but there was something behind that darkness…something tiny but still undeniably light, and she realized the brother she remembered was still in there…buried deep but still there. She came back to reality with a sharp gasping sound as she dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face as Kaulder cradled her against him.

"What's wrong? Talk to me my little queen."

"He's still in there…my brother…the one I loved…he's still there…he's buried so deep under all that darkness…but he felt my memories and tried to reach for me…I think…I think I can still save him Kaulder."

"I hope you can…for your sake if not his."

"I hope so too…I miss my big brother."

"Is there any way we can help?"

"Yes…I'm going to need you, Chloe, to gather as many witches as you can and have them all meet in Central Park at sundown."

"I'm on it. I'll contact my friends and they'll contact others and spread the word on from there."

Chloe ran off to find a quiet apace to contact her group of friends, receiving assurances that they would be there and spread the word to others. Ariande smiled softly as she felt Chloe reaching out, her powers blossoming and growing under her teaching.

"Kaulder…I'll need you by my side for this."

"Of course. What are you planning my little Queen?"

"I'm going to flood his mind with love, and light, and happiness, and everything positive…I'm going to draw on the energy and light of those that come to help us and feed it into him. I will bring his last remaining light to the surface and help it grow again."

"I'll do what I can."

"I know. Just being there by my side will help. I know a lot of your past is painful and not very happy…"

"I was happy with my wife and daughter before I lost them…and I am happy now with you, and Chloe, and Dolan. We can draw on those memories."

"Somehow I don't think watching you fuck me into oblivion is going to help his mental state Kaulder."

Kaulder burst into a deep belly laugh and she gave him a cheeky smile. The two of them kissed and only broke away when Chloe came back in and made a comment on how they were like a pair of randy teenagers.

"I can't help it if she's perfect."

"Yeah, yeah, come on you two…we have work to do."

Ariande laughed softly and allowed Chloe to pull her up from the floor. Kaulder launching himself up and earning twin eye rolls from the two women for showing off. They met up with Dolan and poured over ancient magical texts, Chloe and Ariande projecting the necessary information into the minds of everyone who had agreed to meet up in the park. As the sun finally began to set Ariande grabbed their hands and transported them to the park, signing softly when those gathered there bowed to her.

"Please don't do that…"

"You are our Queen…we want to show you respect."

"You can do that by being the best you can be, and not allowing darkness to corrupt you."

"Yes My Queen. We are all ready whenever you are."

Ariande nodded sharply and sank gracefully to her knees. Kaulder took up his position behind her with his hands on her hips, and Chloe sat beside him with a hand on his shoulder. Everyone else joined around them in a circle, everyone holding hands and the last two touching Chloe's shoulders so that they all connected back to their Queen. Ariande's eyes snapped open, glowing bright green as the Shadow Master appeared in front of her. The other kept their eyes closed as she'd instructed them to, ignoring the deep frightening voice that spoke to their Queen as best they could.

"What are you planning little sister? Hmm? You think these people will give you enough power to fight me? Even you are not that naïve."

Ariande locked eyes with him and pulled all of the feelings of happiness, love, light, and joy that she could gather and pushed them hard into her brother's mind. The Shadow Master gave a terrifying screeching sound and fell to his knees but she kept pushing, her inner eyes focused on the little light deep under the darkness that responded to her, reached for her. She reached back and touched that light, feeding it with her own light and helping it to grow against the oppressive darkness around it. She pulled Kaulder's mind to her and he gave her his strength, letting her draw from him to bolster her power and watched as that small light grew ever brighter.

The screeching hadn't stopped yet, it only grew louder and more desperate as the Shadow Master tried to attack Ariande to make her stop but he met a barrier of bright white light that he could not move past. He railed against it, pushing, clawing and beating at the barrier but to no avail. The barrier held fast and allowed Ariande to continue feeding her brother' light with her own, letting him feel the love and life of all those connected to her at that moment. She pushed the Shadow Master down, smiling as he brother helped her and together they managed to push the Shadow Master into a little black box in his mind. She pulled that box out of her brother's mind and into her own until she could get rid of it, but for now she needed to heal the damage done to her brother. Her light branched out and sought out all of the places that the darkness had taken root in, pulling at those roots and destroying them before healing those injured places. It took hours in the real world before she was done and they pulled their minds back into reality. Ariande released everyone's minds and they all sagged against each other, tired but satisfied at the beaming smile on their Queen's face.

"Thank you…all of you. Go back to your homes and make sure to drink at least two full glasses of water and eat a full meal before getting a good night's sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

"You are more than welcome my Queen. We will always help you in any way that we can."

They all slowly trickled out of the park and back to their homes until only Kaulder and Chloe remained with the two siblings. Ariande looked at her brother and saw the tears running down his face as he drank in the sight of her and gathered him into her arms.

"hush now…I'm here…you're alright now. I've got you."

"I'm so sorry…I couldn't fight him…and he wouldn't let me reach you for help…I tried so hard…"

"It wasn't your fault. You'll be alright now. Come on…let's go home."

"Where is home now? I doubt the castle we once had still stands…"

"Oh it's standing…but it's a tourist attraction and museum now. Home is with Kaulder and Chloe now."

"Kaulder? As in the Witch Hunter? The immortal one?"

"The very same."

"What did I miss? By the gods I've missed a lot of important stuff huh?"

"Not really…I've spent a long time living alone in a cave in Ireland…I was…too weak to come out around others as they stopped believing in me. Chloe here brought me back."

"Then I owe her a debt of gratitude…thank you Lady Chloe."

"I'm no lady…I'm just Chloe."

Kaulder's snort earned him a harsh elbow from the fiery little redhead and he grunted softly. Ariande's brother smiled at them and threw an arm around his sister's shoulders, basking in the warm smile she gave him.

"Well then…just Chloe…I am called **Cinéad** , but my sister has always called me Cin."

"Well then Kin…pleased to meet ya."

"Oh the pleasure is all mine pretty lady."

Cin kissed her hand and she flushed a pretty shade of red, his roguish smirk did nothing to help that either. The man was as dark haired as his sister was light haired, and he definitely had the same good looks that she did. Kaulder gave him a warning look and the women just rolled their eyes. When Ariande collapsed Kaulder caught her and swept her up into his arms before heading to the car. Cin looked worried but Chloe reacted faster than either man had thought possible. She was by her Queen's side and had urged her to wake back up long enough to open the little vial around her neck and drink it. Once that was done Chloe relaxed, leaning against Cin without even realizing it, not that the man was complaining mind you…he was rather enjoying it actually. They eventually made it back to Kaulder's apartment and Chloe insisted that Cin stay in her room so she could 'teach him about modern life'…an excuse Kaulder saw right through but he let it go. Chloe was an adult and could do what she wanted, and she could certainly do worse…had in fact done far worse in his opinion…so this one he didn't have much of a problem with.

"Just use protection will ya?!"

Chloe flipped him off before pushing a laughing Cin into her room and closing the door. Kaulder heard the lock click before he carried Ariande to bed and stayed beside her as she slept for the next 24 hours…and then some. It was two full days before she rejoined the waking world and Kaulder had started to worry that something was wrong, despite Chloe and Cin's reassurances that it was fine.

"Hey beautiful…welcome back."

"How long…was I out?"

"Two whole days…had me worried my little Queen."

"I'm sorry…I'm ok now though…just needed rest."

"It's fine my little Queen…oh…just so your don't get any shocking surprises when we leave this room…Your brother and Chloe are sleeping together."

"Really? After seeing how they reacted on meeting…can't say I'm shocked."

"Yeah…she actually flipped me off when I told her to use protection…"

"You didn't?"

"I most certainly did. They don't know each other well enough yet to be risking having a kid."

"True…but honestly…a witch can't get pregnant unless she wants to…didn't you know that?"

"No…I didn't. How the hell did I not know that one?"

Her giggling laughter made him smile and lift her up out of the bed before carrying her to the breakfast table, where Chloe and Cin were already waiting for them. Kaulder sat her next to her brother and sat himself across from her and next to Chloe. He watched with a soft look as the two siblings leaned against each other, finally reunited after so many long years of painful separation. They all ate together, talked of numerous topics form modern life, to ancient life, and everything in between. There were tears, laughter, teasing, cursing, and Chloe ended up shoving Kaulder off his chair at one point. This was the scene Dolan walked in on and he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he watched the new little family interact…for in his mind that is what they all were…a family…and he was the proud father watching them all grow together.

After a full year of living together they established a routine of sorts, they knew each other's likes and dislikes, their habits, and their limits. They also knew how to push each others buttons and they all argued often, as stubborn people tend to do when their opinions clash, but overall their life together was harmonious. Chloe and Cin were married almost exactly 6 months after meeting each other. Kaulder, Ariande, and Dolan were all there as were Chloe's friends. They had their honeymoon back in Europe, half in England and half in Ireland so they could see each other's homelands. It took a while longer for Kaulder and Ariande to finally get married, but they weren't in any hurry. Their honeymoon was split between Ireland and his original homeland, though they really didn't do much sightseeing.

Two years after they all ended up together Chloe and Cin welcomed their first child, a little boy they named Aidan meaning fiery…which turned out to be an appropriate name as his hair ended up being just as fiery red as his mother's. Another year later and they had a little girl as well whom they named Ena which also meant fire. She grew to have hair as black as her father's but her temper was all her mother.

Kaulder and Ariande welcomed their only child, a little girl with her mother's hair and her father's eyes, after they'd been together nearly four years. They named her Moreira, a combination of his language and hers that came out to mean 'great mercy' and suited her perfectly as she grew up. She was beautiful, kind, helpful, and sweet. Her cousins were extremely protective over her and if anyone dared to even insult her, let alone actually hurt her, they would face the wrath of the two fiery tempered children.

When their family first started growing Kaulder purchased a large house out in the woods with a lot of land so they could have peace and privacy, he also ended up being quite the doting father and uncle and almost always got the kids anything their little hearts desired…even animals. They ended up with a menagerie of horses, cats, dogs, goats, a cow, and even a few ducks and chickens…all because Kaulder couldn't say no…especially to the two little girls. Chloe and Ariande were more than a bit amused by how easily their girls had wrapped him around their little fingers. Life was peaceful for them, but they all forgot about one very important detail.

They all forgot about that locked black box in the back of Ariande's mind that seethed in silent captivity and waited for the slightest hint of weakness.

A/N: And there you have it…the end of this story. I know it wasn't a long story, but I accomplished what I wanted with it so take it as you will. Any flames will be used to roast my favorite steaks on.

A note on the brother's name, and the children's names:

 **Cinéad** \- (KIN-ayd) "handsome". Irish form of **Kenneth. Cionaodh** (KIN-ee), **Kennet.**

 **Aidan** — (AY-den)(Celt) "flame, fire, fiery"; derived from word _aedh_ "fire". **Edan, Aodhan** (EH-thahn); anglicized form of Irish **Aodán** ; dim. of **Aodh; Edan.**

 **Ena** — from the Celtic word for "fire". **Enat.**

 **Mór** — (MOHR) from Old Irish _mor_ "great, tall". Popular until the 19th C. **Moire, Morin, Moya, Moirin, More, Moreen, Maureen.**

 **Eira: Variant form of Old Norse Eir, meaning "help, mercy."**

I got the celtic names from this website which has a lot of Celtic names from various regions and their meanings for both men and women. Mine means "Protector of Man" which is kind of awesome…makes me feel like a superhero a bit lol.

www . amethyst–night names . html

The Norse name came from here:

www . 20000-names female_norse_names . htm

I combined Old Norse and Celtic names for Kaulder and Ariande's daughter as I felt that would be appropriate to combine their different heritages…I think it turned out well. Let me know what you think guys.


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